Abandon All Hope
by Koala75
Summary: With the Infected wiping out North America, and the apocalypse among them, Kendall, James, Carlos, Logan, and Katie struggle to survive. There has been no way to communicate long-distance, no news broadcasting the state of other countries, and seemingly no other survivors. Fighting hordes of zombies, staying alive is easier said than done.


**A/N: Another one-shot! I'm on a roll! Anyway, I made a new blog specifically for my writing. There's pictures and music and all sorts of nifty things. The link is on my profile page, and it would mean a lot to me if you followed! I'll be posting a lot more soon enough, once I get further on stories that are still in the works. Now, as for this fic, it was originally just for my little sister, Maggie. She gave me permission to post it though, so, I hope you all enjoy!**

**P.S. It's kind of a Left4Dead-ish thing. You'll see. Also, the title was inspired by my favorite episode of Supernatural. You'll see about that too. Enjoy!**

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Yawning, Carlos rubbed the sleep from his eyes and sat up. His stomach growled, but he ignored it as he picked up the gun by his side. The small machine pistol wasn't his favorite means of defense, but it was quick and quieter than the other guns. If any of the Infected showed up, quick and quiet was necessary. He'd have his choice gun back when the sun came up and the group was on their feet. For now, he was on his night shift with Kendall. Logan and James had just woken them up, and were now getting some sleep for themselves. In the middle of their camp, Kendall's baby sister, Katie, slept undisturbed.

Only three months ago, Katie Knight turned twelve-years-old. Telling no one, Kendall vanished for an entire night, risking his life by going into town and searching for something to give to Katie. Had the other boys thought for even a moment that the camp would be safe without them for an hour, they would've done the same. Logan scolded Kendall when he came back, as did Katie, but she still thanked him when he presented her and the rest of the group with a makeshift twinkie cake. In Kendall's eyes, she was still too young to have to learn to fire any of the guns they had.

_"What you need to do, is hold it up so it's a good distance from yourself. Just- yeah, as far as your arms will go out. Now fire!" James' voice echoed in the surrounding forest, and Kendall followed it, hoping he wouldn't find what he was thinking he'd find. Peering through the bushes, Kendall's fists clenched when he saw James taking a pistol from Katie's hand and giving her a shotgun._

_"James, what the FUCK do you think you're doing?!" Kendall demanded, running out to his sister and friend. He shoved James back, pushing past him to take the gun from Katie._

_"Kendall, calm down, I'm just teaching her how-" James couldn't finish his explanation. Kendall swung his fist at James, slamming it into his jaw. James fell back and Katie's eyes widened. She called out for Logan and Carlos, and the boys rushed to them, their guns at the ready. When they saw Kendall and James fighting, however, they dropped their weapons and pulled the boys off of each other._

_"She's twelve, James! TWELVE! She can't be shooting-"_

_"You wanna leave her defenseless? What happens if we get bit or-"_

_"That won't happen, we're smarter than that!" Kendall refused to hear James out, shaking his head whenever his friend started speaking. Logan and Carlos held on to them, keeping them from tearing at each others' throats._

_"You saw how she handled the gun when this all started. You watched her do it- She had to because you couldn't!" The words seemed to leave James' lips without any thought. He froze as soon as they did, and everyone was silent. Kendall stopped struggling against Logan's hold, and Katie stared down at her feet. A few seconds of painful silence passed before Katie's whimpers were audible, and Kendall glared at James before going to his sister._

Stretching, cracking his knuckles, Kendall sat on the boulder near the edge of camp. He didn't mind being awake at night; he did what he had to do for the safety of his family. He and the rest of the boys had seen enough movies and played enough video games to know that sleeping in shifts was a good safety precaution. According to his watch, only three hours remained until daylight. Logan and James would sleep for a couple more hours after that, then they would pack up and keep moving.

Listening to the small fire cackle, Kendall kept his eyes focused on the surrounding area. He tried to remember what the date for tomorrow would be, but as time wore on, it became harder to keep track of. Mostly it was pointless to try now, but Kendall liked knowing the dates. It made him feel like the world could still be a little bit normal... like there was a slim chance that things would be okay again. Yet when he heard Logan begin to whine in his sleep, Kendall knew nothing could ever get back to "okay."

After the outbreak reached Los Angeles, they escaped and, with the hopes that everyone was safe, began searching for family back in Minnesota. Upon entering their hometown, the boys were met with nothing but a ghost of the place they'd grown up in. Kendall and Katie didn't dare go back to their house, but instead supported their friends as they scoped out what was left of their homes. James had found nothing in his parents' houses, other than a mess. There was no trace of them left, no note, no sign that they were alive or dead. Angrily, he'd picked up rocks from the ground and threw them at his father's house, breaking through the windows. It was the first time Katie had ever seen James cry, and unfortunately, his tears wouldn't be the only ones she'd see shed that day.

The Garcia house was burned to the ground. Their car, the old station wagon that Mrs. Garcia would drive the boys home from hockey practice in, was still parked in the driveway. On the windshield, Mr. Garcia had taped a note, and for Carlos, it explained everything he needed to know. Carlos had been so sure that his family wouldn't leave the house - they were a stubborn group. He knew if he didn't find them there, odds were they'd died. Taking the note, Carlos looked it over once before crumpling the paper in his fist and throwing it to the ground. Logan, James, and Kendall all offered their condolences, and while Katie avoided watching Carlos cry, she spotted two boxes in the back of the car with another note.

_"Guys, there's stuff back here!" she announced, opening the back of the car. Carlos was the first to stop beside Katie, and the two opened the boxes, finding an assortment of canned food. The second note read the same as the first, but on the top it said, "just in case the other note is lost." Katie read along with Carlos, placing a comforting hand on his arm after she read the message._

**_"If you're reading this, Carlos, we love you. We're sorry we couldn't be here for you. We love you so much. Love, Mama and Papa."_**

Logan's home might've been the worst for any of the boys. Everything seemed fine on the outside. None of the windows were broken or boarded up. Hoping that his parents left a note on where they might've gone if they left town, Logan entered the house without hesitation. From outside, the boys could hear him scream, and they ran inside as fast as they could. They found Logan in the living room, crouched in the corner with his gun aimed at the entrance to the kitchen. The boys looked around, finding blood splattered all over the walls, and smeared across the floor. There was a grunting noise coming from the kitchen, and Kendall moved in front of Katie when they saw what caused Logan to scream. Logan's father, decayed and missing part of his jaw, dragged himself out of the kitchen, his lower half completely gone. Putting a bullet through his father's brain, Logan couldn't stop himself from crying. He openly wept, and it only became worse when they found his mother's body. She'd shot herself in her bedroom, and Logan walked in to find rats picking at what was left of her.

Fleeing the town, the boys and Katie didn't say a word to each other for the next few days. While Carlos, Logan, and James found their own ways to cope, Kendall and Katie did their best to show support. James was the first to start talking again, burying his pain like he always did. No one could talk him out of it, but it didn't seem to matter when they had to worry about staying alive. For Carlos and Logan, acceptance took a little more time, but after the group had to evade a horde of the Infected, the boys seemed to let go of what they saw back in Minnesota. Kendall and Katie understood the positions their brothers were left in. They had already gone through their loss. They already accepted that they couldn't dwell on it in this world.

As morning came and Logan, James, and Katie woke up, Kendall and Carlos cooked what was left of their rations. For weeks now, they'd been eating nothing but rice, potatoes, and whatever they could catch in their animal traps. None of the boys had seen a healthy-looking deer to shoot in a while, and they knew without having to say anything that they would need to leave the forests again and search for food in a nearby town. Their strategy since leaving Minnesota had been to stick to locations where people were scarce, going into towns and cities when there was no other option. So far, it worked. However, there was always the tiny, naive hope that the infection would pass, and the country could start rebuilding itself.

"Katie, you still hungry?" Kendall asked, holding his food out to her when he noticed she'd finished eating. She shook her head, folding her arms over her stomach. "Come on, you're hungry. It's alright." Everyone but Kendall could see how fed up Katie was getting with him. She knew his intentions were good, but it didn't stop her from feeling a little bit of resentment. He was going to starve to death if he kept passing his meals to her, and what good would that do anyone? It was enough that he wouldn't let her even think about holding a gun, and that her job was to carry the small things in her backpack, like matches and rations. Scowling, she stood up, walking away from the campfire. "Katie? Katie, where are you going?"

"I have to pee," Katie snapped back at her older brother, not even bothering to turn around and face him. Kendall sighed, staring down at his food. His stomach growled, and feeling the guilt creeping up on him, he ate. None of the other boys said anything, knowing there was nothing they could or should say.

Once the group finished eating, they packed up and began walking. Knowing the best option was to keep moving, they never stayed in the same place for more than three days. Even if the security was all that they could hope for, they knew it was best to stay on their feet. If one of the Infected caught their scent, it put them at risk of dealing with a horde. After their first run in with masses of zombies, they knew better than to take any risks whatsoever. Without having to say anything to each other, the group headed down the mountain. They weren't sure where they were exactly, but they did know it was somewhere near the South.

Journeying down the mountain was uneventful, thankfully. James was able to take out the few Infected they came across, shooting an arrow through their brains with ease. The archery lessons he'd taken every summer at camp finally came in handy. Once James got a bow in his hands, it was almost like riding a bike; everything came flooding back to him and he had the skill mastered within the first day. The bow was the most significantly useful weapon when it came to just one or two zombies. There was no noise, and the arrows could be reused.

"You see the sign ahead?" James asked, breaking the silence. Everyone looked to where James was pointing, and Katie lifted the binoculars that hung around her neck, looking through them to see what the sign said. The boys waited anxiously, hoping that there was a town on the other side of the hill in front of them. The opposite side of the highway was barren, with nothing but land as far as the eye could see. As good as open land like that could be, the nights were getting colder, and they needed firewood that wouldn't be available out there.

"Welcome to Austin!" Katie read excitedly, throwing her fist victoriously into the air while the rest of the boys cheered. More than likely, there would be some form of food left in the city. They had to be careful though; a big city meant the Infected were crawling everywhere. The next zombie they ran into would be used for camouflage. The longer they went without showering, the easier it was to cover up their living smell with one of the dead. Kendall and James tested this trick the last time they were in a city, and it worked as well as they could've hoped.

"Hey, maybe we'll be able to barricade ourselves into a house like we did last time," Carlos suggested optimistically. Logan chuckled, nodding in agreement. It was always nice whenever they could all get a full night of sleep, even if it was only every once in awhile.

"First thing's first, we've gotta find food. In case you haven't noticed, we're running on empty," Kendall stated. With the hopes of finding food, the journey over the hill seemed to take longer than it should've. However, once the first zombie was killed, and the group could see the city lying before them, the reality of what they were doing sunk in. Smearing the blood and brittle flesh over their clothes and skin, everyone tried to keep from vomiting. Kendall and Logan thought better of trying to stop themselves from throwing up; they figured whatever could cover up their normal scents would be helpful.

Cautiously, the five entered the city, their weapons at the ready as the sauntered through the deserted streets. Once again, they were walking into a ghost of a place. No one seemed to be around, but they remained on alert. Freezing whenever they thought they heard movement, and slowing down whenever a couple of the Infected passed them, they ventured farther into the city. At first, they searched through mini-marts that hadn't been completely boarded up. Almost everywhere they went, the places were ravaged and stripped of anything useful.

Then, Katie noticed something the boys almost missed.

"Guys! Guys! Look- those street lights!" Katie whispered, tugging at Kendall's arm. He stopped and looked up, pointing for the rest of the boys to see. Hung on the street lights, there were signs with big bold x's painted on them. "Should we follow?" Kendall didn't answer his sister's question immediately. He thought about what could be at the end of the trail, and after a minutes consideration, he looked to the rest of the boys.

"I don't think we have much to lose," James offered, his eyes darting from Kendall to the signs. Logan scoffed.

"Yeah, just our lives. No big deal!" he hissed. Carlos bit his lip, looking around to make sure they were still clear of the Infected.

"Keep your voices down-"

"I'm just saying, we shouldn't trust this! I don't have the best feeling about it, and Kendall, I can see you don't either!" Logan argued, his voice hushed. James rolled his eyes, taking a few steps forward.

"I think we should follow them. James is right, we don't have much to lose..." Katie interrupted the budding argument, staring up at her brother. Kendall hesitated, looking from Katie to Logan. He agreed with James on the fact that they didn't have much to lose at this point, but he also strongly sided with Logan. They didn't know what lied at the end of the trail. "Please, Kendall? What if there's stuff we need?"

Logan sighed, his gaze shifting to his feet. Kendall was going to give in to his baby sister like he always did, even if it might not've been what was best for the group. Katie was always the deciding factor for the blonde, and everyone knew it. No one could really blame him, but it still frustrated Logan. He didn't know what to expect as the group began following the signs. When they reached the end of the trail, they stared curiously at what was ahead of them. The parking lot was completely empty, and the mall that stood at the end of the trail seemed untouched by the death surrounding it.

"A mall? That's what we followed these fucking signs for-"

"James, wait," Katie cut off the much taller boy, walking ahead of the group. The boys followed her, and when they reached the entrance of the mall, they found a poster taped to the chained up doors. "Turned mall into safe-house. Take what you need and run. City is not safe. God bless." Katie read the sign and looked to her brother. The boys hesitated, but Kendall reached forward, unwinding the chains on the handles of the door.

"We're not actually going in there, are we?" Logan asked, his voice cracking. James placed a hand on his shoulder, but Logan shrugged it off.

"We'll scope it out first, to be safe. We have to check for food. You know that," Kendall declared, pushing the doors open. The creak echoed throughout the empty department store, and the boys held up their guns, protectively surrounding Katie as they entered. Kendall scanned the area, spotting the maintenance box hidden in the wall. Slowly parting from the group, he opened the small metal door, flipping on the switches inside. Their eyes all narrowed and shut as the lights flashed on, and they struggled to regain focus as quickly as possible.

"Alright, James, Logan, you two scope out the top half of the mall. Carlos and I are taking downstairs. Katie, you stay beside me," Kendall instructed. The boys nodded and followed the orders, Logan and James running upstairs with their guns cocked and ready. Searching through the mall, the boys found nothing dangerous inside. When Logan and James called out to Kendall, he held up his hand. "We're all clear on the first floor too. It's safe."

Relief washed over them all, and Katie hurried to the doors they entered from, chaining it from the inside. Carlos was the first to relax, wandering off to a video game store and staring longingly at the games on display. Katie laughed when she saw him, as did the rest of the boys. Soon enough though, they were all looking through the stores and remembering what it was like to go to a mall for fun. James ran his fingertips over the shelves where the Cuda products were, and Logan sat with his legs crossed in front of a display of the solar system in one of the stores. Kendall had taken a pair of roller-blades from a sporting goods store and was skating across the building.

"RUNNING WATER! IT WORKS! IT WORKS!" Katie shouted, her laughter carrying throughout the mall. James and Carlos ran to the railing, peering over the edge and spotting Katie at a water fountain, jumping up and down excitedly. "I'm finding the girls room and cleaning this crap off of me!" Squealing with excitement, she ran into one of the clothing stores, sifting through all the colorful shirts and jackets. Exchanging glances, the boys followed suit, searching for clean clothes to change into.

Though all they had to work with were the sinks, it was better than nothing. The boys took turns in the bathrooms, cleaning the blood and dirt from their skin. Katie was the first to get cleaned up, and once she exited the bathroom, grinning from ear to ear in new clothes and not smelling of decaying shit, she began exploring the mall further. Her stomach was still growling, and she remembered that the point of coming to this place was to find food. Jogging up the escalator, Katie wandered around before stumbling upon the skates Kendall had been wearing. He was one step ahead of her, and she smiled when she saw the five brand-new backpacks spread out on the ground.

"I found a gun shop, and a hunting goods store," Kendall's voice resonated behind her, and Katie whirled around, running to him and locking her arms around his waist. She knew he'd been worrying about how much ammo they had left; he'd lost so much sleep worrying about how the group was doing. Kendall kissed the top of her head, smiling down at her. "I'm packing up everything we could need. There's more matches, there's gasoline and coal, bullets, new guns- You made a good call, kid."

Katie beamed at the compliment, and Kendall ruffled her hair, kneeling in front of the backpacks and filling them with all the treasures he'd found. Downstairs, Carlos was shouting eagerly, running out to the center of the mall. Katie looked down at him, her grin stretching when she saw the cans in his arms. He'd found the food, and judging from his expression, there was plenty more where that came from.

"James found the motherload! He's making spaghetti! There's bottled water, there's canned meat- TONIGHT! WE FEAST!" Carlos screamed, running back to the kitchen and howling triumphantly. Katie was taken back to how he'd cheer whenever he defeated a difficult level in a video game he was playing. She could almost see the obnoxiously orange sofa now. "Logan, come help me bring some of this up to Kendall so he can pack it up!"

Soon enough, Kendall, Logan, and Carlos were filling the backpacks with the canned ham and tuna, peanut butter, soups, ramen noodles, and bottled water. They salvaged what was useful from their old backpacks, and made sure to avoid making their new packs too heavy. Just as they were finishing up packing, James called out to them. He stood at the bottom of the escalator, a chef's hat on his head and a large pot of pasta in his hands. Racing each other, Katie riding on Kendall's back, the group bolted down to the first floor. Laughing and joking, the group enjoyed their first peaceful dinner in a long, long time. There were even leftovers; an occurrence that was now totally uncommon.

For the first time in months, Katie could feel that everyone was happy. If only for tonight, they were all forgetting that outside the mall, the world had gone to Hell. If only for tonight, Katie was seeing the contagious smiles her brothers used to always wear. She had almost forgotten that Logan had dimples, or that it was impossible not to smile when Carlos was laughing. It had completely slipped her mind that Kendall's laugh was the loudest out of all of theirs, and that James would always cough after laughing too much.

When Katie started to yawn, Kendall allowed her to fall asleep in his arm. Gradually, the boys took to the two beds that were on display in one of the stores. Carlos and Logan shared one in the far corner, and just a few feet away, Kendall gently placed Katie in the middle of the bed he and James jumped on. All of them knew they needed to appreciate the comfort of a bed.

It had been so long since they'd enjoyed the warmth of a blanket, and the calmness of knowing they were safe.

_"MOMMY! MOM!" Katie shrieked, pulling her Mom away as Kendall swung his hockey stick down and jammed it into the zombie's head. James and Carlos were moving the sofa in front of the door, and anything else that was heavy enough to block the path. Buddha Bob stood over Jennifer, his hands shaking as he tried to place a wet towel over her bite. The gun he'd brought to protect the family he'd come to love was sitting on the counter, useless now. Katie's eyes blurred with tears, and she held on to her mother as tightly as she could. She'd been bitten right in her shoulder, and they all knew what that meant._

_James, Carlos, Logan, and Kendall all looked down at Mama Knight, unable to fight the tears, and unable to believe that the woman who'd spent so much of her time taking care of them, was marked for death. They could hear the zombies clawing at the door, growling as they tried to get into the apartment. Their makeshift barricade wouldn't hold forever. Buddha Bob held Jennifer's hand, stroking it carefully. Jennifer Knight looked to her daughter, biting her lip as she held back sobs. She stroked Katie's hair, her breath hitching in her throat when she glanced up at her son._

_"Kendall..." Jennifer breathed, her eyes as authoritative as they always were. Kendall could hardly bring himself to look at his mother, but he did. "I need you to look after Katie, okay? You keep her safe, like you always do. I know you'll take care of her-"_

_"Mom, don't-"_

_"Listen to me, Kendall!" Jennifer ordered, knowing that she was going to die. Logan, James, and Carlos watched Kendall, not used to seeing their strongest brother in such a weak state. "We've all seen the movies. We all know how this ends. Don't let me become one of them." Kendall's eyes widened. Katie pulled away from her mother, and the siblings followed her gaze. She was staring at the gun Buddha Bob had left on the counter._

_"Mom, please, stop-"_

_"Kendall, baby, I know it's hard. I'm so sorry I got bitten, I'm sorry I didn't listen and get us out of L.A. faster," Jennifer was struggling to breathe now. Buddha Bob squeezed her hand, and she offered him a smile. "I love you all so much. Promise me you'll be safe. Promise me." Kendall was shaking his head, refusing to do what he knew his mother was asking of him. He couldn't. He __**wouldn't**__._

_"I won't, Ma, I won't!"_

_"I'm not asking, Kendall! I'm telling you! Do it!"_

_"Momma, please, no-"_

_The shot rang out and Kendall could feel a drop of blood hit his face. There was a bullet-hole in Jennifer's head and her eyes were no longer seeing. Katie dropped the gun and began screaming, her eyes alive with fear. Tears streamed down her face, and she didn't stop screaming, even when Kendall grabbed her and held her in his arms._

"Ah!" Katie woke up from her nightmare, cold sweat beading her forehead. She pushed her hair back, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Peering around, she saw it was still mostly dark, and the boys were all still sleeping. Stretching, she pushed herself out of the bed as slowly as she could, to avoid waking up James or her brother. She made it two feet away from the bed before she could hear James groaning.

"Katie? Where are you going?" James' voice was gruff and groggy, he was still half asleep. Katie tiptoed back to him, tousling his hair and smirking.

"Just the bathroom. I'll be right back," she assured him. James smiled at her, nodding and closing his eyes.

Katie left for the bathroom, wishing they didn't have to leave the mall. She knew perfectly well that it was an unspoken rule for the group to keep moving, but it was so nice sleeping in a bed again, and having a hot meal and running water. Her thoughts were interrupted though, by a small, muffled sound that Katie at first thought she was imagining. Frowning, Katie stood in the middle of the second floor, following the source of the sound. The noise became louder as she walked down the escalator, and even louder when she neared a door that said "maintenance only."

"Hello?" Katie called out, slowly opening the door. She could hear the noise clearly now. A woman was crying. "Who's there? Are you alright?" Katie pushed open the door completely, her eyes widening at what she saw. A woman's back was to her, her clothes filthy, her hair matted down and dark with something wet. She wept violently, her sobs becoming more agitated as Katie approached and addressed her. "Hey, oh God, are you okay?" Katie paused when she stepped on something, and she frowned as she lifted her foot to see what it was.

Lying on the ground was an empty bottle of prescription pills.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Katie's sharp cry bounced off the walls, and James was the first to wake up. He sat up, alert and alarmed by the sound of Katie's cry.

"WAKE UP! NOW!" James cried, throwing the blankets off of his body and leaping out of bed. He picked up his gun from the floor, sprinting out of the store and down the empty walkway. Behind him, he could hear Kendall calling out for Katie, the fear in his voice rising when he couldn't find her. The boys were quick to get out of bed, but James was the first downstairs. He could hear Katie screaming, and he followed the noise, his jaw dropping when he finally found her. Without thinking, he lifted his gun and fired several rounds, emptying what was left in his gun. He didn't know what he shot - all he saw was a woman in a tattered, dirty dress with gray skin and blood soaked hair. She didn't look like any zombie he'd seen before. She looked like she could've still been alive, had it not been for the gray hue of her skin. Her body lie motionless, her head and neck riddled with bullets. James swallowed back the bile rising in his throat as he pushed the door open, turning on the lights. "Oh, Katie... Oh, Katie, no..."

James dropped his gun, bending down to scoop the small twelve-year-old up in his arms. Katie's breathing was loud and wheezy; she was forcing herself not to cry. Behind him, James could hear Kendall calling out to him, and he didn't want to turn around. He didn't want to be the one who showed Kendall. His eyes burned and he squeezed them shut, knowing Kendall was getting closer. He could hear the collective footsteps of all three of his brothers approaching.

"James, where's Kat-" Kendall stopped mid-sentence, his heart coming to an abrupt stop when James turned around. Blood dripped onto the floor, and Katie's horrified expression was the only thing he could see. There were two bites in her arm, the skin completely ripped off. She was shaking violently, and tears were sliding down her cheeks. Kendall could hear his heartbeat in his head, and he could hear the echoes of Katie's stifled sobs. All he could do was take Katie from James' arms, as if it would kill Katie for anyone but her brother to hold her. Sinking to his knees, Kendall held Katie close, covering her arm with his hand to stop the bleeding. He wasn't aware he was speaking, muttering useless words as he kissed the top of his sister's head again and again. "I'll fix this Katie. We can fix this. I'll make it better, Katie. It'll be okay. It'll be okay." Kendall brushed Katie's hair from her face, denial clear in his features as he smiled down at his baby sister.

"Holy shit," Carlos breathed, the only one in the group looking at the main entrance instead of Katie. He grabbed Logan's arm, squeezing it tightly. "We've got more problems." Logan was the first to tear his gaze away from Katie and follow Carlos' stare. Pressing against the door, a swarm of the Infected were trying to get in. Logan's eyes widened. He could see dozens surrounding the doors, and even more behind them. There were lights outside, and Logan realized a horrifying fact. When Kendall flipped on the switches, he'd turned the outside lights on as well. Who knew how many zombies had been attracted?

"Carlos is right, guys. Oh my God," Logan breathed, his chest tightening. Kendall wasn't listening. He was cradling his baby sister, still mumbling that he could fix everything. Logan ran from the boys, running up the stairs and searching for another set that would lead him to the roof. Finding the door, he shoved it open, running as fast as his legs would carry him. He searched the roof for any sign of the Infected, sighing with relief when there was nothing. Breathing heavily, he approached the edge of the roof, peering over it to see how many zombies there were. "Oh, FUCK!" Logan slammed his fist down on the concrete, ignoring the pain it sent searing through his hand.

The Infected were everywhere. They were flooding in from around the city, all of them trying to get into the mall. Logan wanted to throw up as much as he wanted to scream and cry. They were trapped, and the glass doors wouldn't hold forever. He'd experienced enough to know that those doors would crack, and the zombies would stumble in and kill them. Even with all the ammunition they'd found, and all the arrows James had, the group was as good as dead.

Downstairs, Kendall was still clutching Katie in his arms, and James had taken to inspecting what it was that had attacked her. The zombified woman didn't look as rotten and dead as all the other zombies James had seen. She looked like a regular woman, but her eyes were bloodshot and her skin was dark gray. Looking around the room, James saw a door at the opposite end with a piece of paper taped to it. Written in the same writing the note outside the mall had been written in, James read "escape." He searched around the room, finding a note folded on the table.

"To whom it concerns," James read, picking up the note and unfolding it. Logan returned, and was watching intently as James read allowed. Carlos alternated between watching after Kendall, to looking at James. "There's a way out of the mall underground. I will not be taking this route. I'm sure you've seen by now, but I'm dead. I couldn't take living like this. I'm not strong enough. I don't want to be one of them. May God have mercy on your soul." James clenched the note in his fist, glaring down at the corpse. Whoever she was, she'd committed suicide in vain. She still became one of the Infected. And now, Katie Knight was going to die.

"Guys, what are we gonna do? Look, those door are ready to crack! We've gotta get out of here, and you know it!" Logan shouted. Kendall continued to ignore his friends, choosing to hold his precious sister.

"Should we follow the escape route-"

"Look at what following those signs got us, Carlos!" Logan cried. Kendall set Katie down, swiftly rising to his feet and turning on Logan. He gripped the shorter boy's collar, snarling down at him. Logan's eyes were wide, fearful. "I- Kendall, I'm-"

"Kendall..." Katie croaked, receiving everyone's attention. James gulped, watching Katie's eyes search around for them. They were out of focus, and her skin was paler than it had been just ten minutes ago. "Stop..." She inhaled shakily, her eyes falling on Carlos. "Go get the backpacks, and your guns. You and James, go." Without missing a beat, the boys did as they were told. Kendall knelt down beside his sister, holding her hand. Katie's chest rose and fell with every labored breath she took.

Logan found a first aid kit in the room the woman had been hiding in, and he was quick to wrap up Katie's bites. He knew it was useless to stop the bleeding, but he still wanted to keep his hands busy. Katie smiled at him, lifting her hand to stroke the side of his face when he finished. Carlos and James returned just as Logan was finishing up with Katie's bandage, and she took a moment to look at all of them.

"Kendall..." Katie sighed, closing her eyes. "You all need to escape. Is there any other way out of here?" Logan was the first to shake his head.

"We're completely surrounded," he announced, unable to look any of his brothers' in the eye. He could feel their gazes on him.

"Then take the underground route," Katie instructed. They were all starting to see she was formulating a plan, something none of them could think of at a time like this. Katie Knight was like her brother in a lot of ways, and this was one of them. When all else seemed lost, she always had a plan. "I don't care what you're gonna try to say to me. If it means an escape, you take it." There was something in her voice, something that was giving Kendall a bad feeling.

"Katie, we've got to be careful with you-"

Katie's glare made Kendall stop talking. He knew as well as she did that they only had a day before she became one of the Infected. First there would be a fever, then finally, death. Then she would rise again and Kendall would have no choice but to do what he couldn't do for their mother, and put a bullet in her head. Kendall choked on a sob, crippling beside his little sister. He squeezed her hand, refusing to let go.

"Kendall, remember those grenades you took from that tank in Chicago? You said- You said they'd come in handy," Katie reminded him, her words breathy and drawn out. Logan bit his lip, and he looked to James and Carlos to see if they knew where Katie was going with this. James' expression was unreadable, but Carlos seemed to understand. Kendall was shaking his head, but Katie continued. "Leave them with me. Once the glass breaks, which looks like it'll be pretty soon- I'll... I'll use the grenades. Once they're surrounding- Kendall, you saw the propane tanks in that store. Set them up, and I can stay behind-"

"KATIE, NO." Kendall roared, grabbing her shoulders. Katie stared up at her brother, her eyes narrowed. The siblings glared at each other for a long few moments, but Kendall broke easily. He cried, pulling his sister in for a tight hug. After another minute, he sniffed and cleared his throat. "You guys heard her. Set up some propane tanks."

Exchanging uncertain glances, the boys got to work. Kendall took another minute to hold his sister before kissing the top of her head and running off to help his brothers. The zombies at the main entrance continued to bang against the glass, and gradually, Katie could see it cracking. The boys were finished spreading out the propane before the damage to the glass doors was serious, and they were all back beside Katie. Kendall carried her into the room, kicking the dead woman out into the hall. The grenades rested beside Katie, and her fingers twitched around them.

Carlos knelt down beside Katie, his hands trembling as he took off his helmet.

"Here, sweetie... I think you'll need this," Carlos said, placing the helmet on Katie's head. She grinned, holding her arms out. Carlos hugged her, rubbing her back soothingly. When he pulled away, he stood up, moving aside so Logan could crouch down next to Katie. The brunette was quiet, unable to look at Katie for more than a second. Finally, he reached out and pulled Katie into his arms, hugging her for a long few minutes.

"I don't wanna see you again anytime soon, okay? Take care of yourself," Katie ordered. Logan forced a smile, nodding at the girl who'd become the sister he never had. James hesitated before sitting beside Katie, unsure of what to say. She could see he blamed himself; he'd been the one to wake up when she left the group. He was the last one who saw her before her fate had been set. Taking his hand, Katie gave it a gentle squeeze. "Whatever you're thinking James, stop." Glancing down at Katie, James allowed a soft smile onto his face. "You were always my favorite, James." Knowing what she meant, James chuckled. He stared down at Katie, seeing her smiling up at him. Swallowing thickly, he bent down, pressing his lips to her forehead.

"You're a good kid, Katie," James whispered, pushing himself up. He, Carlos, and Logan stood by the door that led underground, while Kendall took a seat beside Katie. She looked up at him, studying his face before frowning. The boys could see tears welling up in her eyes, and she shook her head.

"Kendall, no-"

"Your plan is a good one, Katie. I'm proud of you," Kendall announced. His eyes flashed up to his brothers, and they realized what his intentions were. "Mom told me to look after you. I'm not leaving you here alone." The rest of the boys shook their heads, searching for the words to say that would convince Kendall not to stay behind. He was quick to stop them, however.

"Get going guys. I'm not gonna tell you twice," Kendall stated flatly. He looked to each of them, and they could see it in his eyes - he wasn't going to move. "Go, now!"

James hesitated, then nodded to Kendall. Upon receiving a curt nod back, James opened the door. He picked up Kendall and Katie's backpacks, already wearing his. Logan and Carlos were slower, not knowing how to walk away from their family. Kendall waved his hand, motioning for them to leave. His arm was around his sister, where it would stay until their time was up. The gasoline was spread across the floor outside the room, and the propane tanks were set up. Katie would open all the grenades she could, and Kendall would throw them out. If their plan worked, the whole building would explode and go up in flames, and the zombies would be wiped out.

Logan, James, and Carlos jogged down the spiral staircase, stopping once they reached the bottom. Pulling a flashlight from the pocket of the backpack, James looked around, spotting two motorcycles, and a truck. He searched the area for any of the Infected, carefully approaching the truck. Looking inside, he saw nothing dangerous, and quickly went to work at hot-wiring the vehicle. Logan and Carlos took the backpacks, placing them in the bed of the truck. There was a tarp folded inside the bed, and they worked as fast as they could, pulling the tarp over the flatbed and securing it.

"There's gas cans back here, I think we're good," Logan informed James when the truck roared to life. The boys hopped into the truck, and James sped off, driving through the tunnels carefully until they saw light. It felt like they'd been underground for hours, and when they finally got above ground, the mall was far behind them.

Driving as fast as the truck would allow, James made it outside of town before the boys heard the explosion. Hitting the brakes, James turned, as did Carlos and Logan. They stared at the billowing smoke and flames, feeling their hearts ache. Carlos' eyes were wide as he stared at the flames, and it wasn't until James started the truck again and began driving that he turned around. He couldn't take his eyes off of the fire for the longest time though, knowing that Kendall and Katie had been in that building.

The drive was silent after that. No one uttered a word. James didn't stop the truck until late into the night. They drove all day, following the highway out of the city. He didn't stop until he couldn't take the silence anymore. Carlos was beginning to whimper, breaking after the long day of driving. It was sinking in for all of them that they'd lost a brother and a sister in the same day.

"Fuck, fuck, FUCK!" James shouted as he jumped out of the car. His hands gripped his hair and he fell to his knees, screaming as loud as his lungs would let him. Carlos remained where he sat, tears dripping off of his chin as he openly wept. Logan followed James, frantically looking around for any wandering Infected. It was enough that they'd lost Kendall and Katie.

"James, be quiet! You-"

Logan tried placing his hands on James' shoulders, but James shoved him away. Falling to the ground, Logan glared at James, quickly pushing himself up and shoving James right back.

"I'm trying to keep you from getting killed, damn it!" Logan growled. James towered over Logan, his fists balled at his sides. "You need someone to calm you down." Scowling, James stormed away from Logan, pulling the tarp off of the back of the truck and picking up a backpack, slinging it over his shoulder.

"I don't fucking need anyone, Logan!" James snarled, walking in the direction the boys had come from. Logan shook his head, following after James. He grabbed his arm, but James shrugged him off.

"Are you really gonna go off on your own, you fucking idiot?!" Logan cried, throwing his hands in the air. James held up his hand, flipping Logan the bird. "I'M LEAVING YOU BEHIND JAMES. I'LL GET IN THAT TRUCK, AND WE'LL GO WITHOUT YOU!" Logan's threat left his lips without any real malice, but James still flinched. Yet he didn't stop walking. He continued to ignore Logan, and once there was a considerable distance between them, Logan bolted after him. He tackled James, pinning him to the ground. "FUCKING STOP!"

Angrily, James kicked Logan off of him, punching him several times before standing up. He stared down at his friend, horrified by what he'd done, but James was too broken to even want to try and fix anything anymore.

"Just... go, Logan. I don't care anymore," James sighed, his voice cracking. One eye already swelling shut, Logan coughed, his arms wrapping around his stomach. Blood dripped from his nose, and it took him a minute to stand back up. When he was on his feet again, James was already too far for him to follow anymore. Logan looked from James to the truck where Carlos waited, clenching his fists.

"FUCK YOU!" Logan screamed, wiping the blood from his nose. His breath caught in his chest, and he took his time getting back to the truck. When he hopped in, Carlos was staring, his eyes red and watery. "You wanna follow him?" Logan's question was harsh, and Carlos shook his head. Logan put the truck in drive and hit the accelerator, leaving James behind, just like he threatened.

For days the boys drove, refilling the gas tank when necessary. They'd refill the empty gas cans with what they could siphon out of abandoned cars, just in case. At first, Logan and Carlos didn't know where they would go. They seemed to be driving aimlessly. Until Carlos suggested they get to the coast. Before they'd gotten to Austin, the group had tossed around the idea of finding a boat and seeing if anyone was still alive in the other countries. Their plan had been to get to D.C. and if no one could help them there, they would get to the coast and sail.

Though it would've been more practical to find a boat near the coast they were close to now, Logan drove to D.C. He figured, if James remembered the plan, maybe they would meet again. It was a naive hope, but it kept Logan going, and though Carlos didn't say anything, Logan knew it kept him going too.

Before the boys were even close to D.C., the truck broke down. Taking their backpacks, they left the remaining two behind. For the most part, the rations in those backpacks were gone. As they had before the truck, the boys traveled on foot, sleeping in shifts around a campfire. Since their archer was gone, they used their guns, trying to save all the ammunition possible. Neither of them were as good of shots as James or Kendall though. Several bullets were wasted whenever Infected stumbled across the boys.

By the time Logan and Carlos reached D.C., they were hoping to find soldiers or someone to help them. But as they walked through the district, they found several abandoned tanks and military posts. Just like the rest of the country, the place was a ghost town, and just like every other ghost town the boys stopped at, they were overwhelmed by how eerie the quiet was.

"Should we just get to the coast?" Carlos asked, breaking the silence that had settled between the two boys since deciding they would head to D.C. Logan looked at him, his eyes softened after hearing his best friend's voice again.

"Yeah, I guess so. No use sticking around here," Logan replied, scratching the back of his head. He wasn't sure how easy it would be to find a boat, but all he could do was keep his fingers crossed and pray there was something worthwhile at their next destination. He was about to walk down the street with Carlos, when movement caught his eye. Frowning, Logan peered around Carlos, his throat tightening and his heart stopping at the sight of a horde. "Carlos... Don't turn around. We- We've gotta run."

Carlos' eyes widened. He recognized the tone of Logan's voice, but against his better judgement, he didn't listen, and he turned his head to see what Logan saw. His mouth opened and he uttered a terrified cry, seeing dozens of the Infected coming towards them. They were running, faster than Carlos had ever seen any Infected run. His cry attracted them, and Logan grabbed Carlos' arm, tugging him along. Both boys pushed their legs to run faster, but the Infected were just as fast.

"AH!" Logan yelped as he fell, and Carlos skidded to a stop, turning to run back and help his friends. The Infected were getting closer, Logan was doomed if Carlos didn't help him up. "GO CARLOS, JUST KEEP RUNNING! RUN!" Logan pushed himself up, wincing and looking down at his knees. They were bloodied and aching, but Logan stood, panting as he glanced over his shoulder to see the horde just feet away from him. He couldn't outrun them now.

"I'm not leaving you behind!" Carlos shouted, pulling Logan along. The Infected were too close now. Logan aimed his gun and fired, emptying out the weapon on the zombies. He managed to take out six, but still more remained. Trying to count how many there were, Logan figured there had to be at least seven. "I've only got three rounds left." Carlos and Logan exchanged glances, the Infected closing in on them. Logan wanted Carlos to keep running, and leave him behind, but he knew it would never happen. All they had left was each other, and if this was how they died, then this was how they died.

At least they wouldn't have to run anymore.

"GET DOWN!"

Instinctively, Carlos listened to the command, dragging Logan to the ground with him. Shots were fired, and the boys could hear the sound of a car approaching. Looking back, Logan saw the remaining zombies were shot down. He looked to Carlos, then up at the jeep speeding towards them. Their eyes widened, and their mouths stretched up into smiles - smiles they never thought they'd wear again. James was driving the jeep, laughing victoriously as he ran over one of the Infected. Leaning out of the passengers' side, holding the gun that saved Logan and Carlos, Kendall waved at them, reaching out to help them up and into the jeep.

"KENDALL!" Carlos cried, lifting Logan to his feet and hobbling towards the car. Kendall grinned down at both of them, the side of his face red and raw, and his hair singed. "You're alive!" Helping Logan into the jeep, Kendall nodded, shrugging.

"Burned, but alive," he responded. His voice was hoarse, as if he needed to clear his throat. "Katie said she'd never forgive me if I let myself die. She said you guys would fall apart without me, and if that happened, she'd haunt my ass. You know her... she was a strong negotiator." Kendall chuckled, and Logan noticed the eye on the burned side of his face was swollen shut.

"We figured you guys would try D.C. If Kendall hadn't reminded me, I wouldn't know where you guys were," James admitted, looking through the rear-view mirror at Logan. After meeting James' stare, Logan nodded at him, smirking. He was glad to see him. He was glad to see both of them.

"James met me right at the city limits," Kendall informed them, knowing the questions that were on Logan's mind. "I got to one of the bikes that were underground, and hauled ass through the tunnels. I just barely escaped the worst of the explosion. I still got pretty fucked up though. Nothing I can't sleep off." He laughed, and this time, the rest of the boys laughed with him. James drove out of D.C., turning onto the empty highway.

Everything felt okay now that the boys were back together. Yes, they'd lost Katie. They'd lost a lot of people they'd loved. Parents, friends, and just life as they'd known it. But like they had been all their lives, they were together. If they were forced to live in a world as damned as this one, they knew now that they preferred to suffer through it together. As they drove further down the highway, they found themselves in the middle of farmland. None of the Infected were in sight, much to their relief.

Overhead, the boys could hear a familiar sound. They didn't believe it at first, but when they saw a chopper fly above them, they felt a sense of peace that they'd never known before. The helicopter landed in the middle of the field, and James veered off the road, speeding towards it. Carlos and Kendall stood up, waving their hands to the soldiers that hopped out of the aircraft. Logan leaned back in his seat, taking a deep breath. He never thought he would feel so happy just from seeing another living human being. It was almost like the stupid video games they used to play. There were always casualties, lost teammates, but they made it.

They made it.


End file.
